LESSON+I+What+is+Art?

=What is Art?=

Before we can get started tackling the big issues, it is important to come to some consensus or understanding of the nature of Art.

 * Which of the following would you classify as Art?**
 * || **art** || **not art** || **not sure** || **why?** ||
 * The Mona Lisa ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * a beautiful sunset ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * a painting of a sunset ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ballet ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * soccer ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * pots and pans ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * pottery ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * an untitled white piece of canvas ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * a canvas painted blue titled Blue Monochrome ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * a man randomly dripping paint on a canvas ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * an elephant painting on a canvas ||  ||   ||   ||   ||

value, creativity, truth, intention, reality, perspective, accuracy, elegance, form, realism, novelty, empathy, beauty, emotion, passion, wisdom, interpretation, education, wonder, awe.
 * consider these concepts when justifying your choices:**

__Dictionary definitions of Art include:__

//[mass noun] the **expression** or application of **human** **creative** skill and imagination, typically in a **visual** form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their **beauty** or **emotional** **power**:// //Oxford Dictionary//

//the// **//conscious//** //use of// **//skill//** //and// //creative// //imagination especially in the// //production// //of// **//aesthetic//** //objects; also// **//://** //works so produced// //Merriam Webster//

We can extrapolate key words from these definitions to help formulate some general characteristics of Art:


 * conscious, human, beauty, aesthetic, emotional, expression, power, skill **

These terms can fall under certain criteria for defining Art. Some of these commonly argued 'criteria" include:


 * **Intention:** there is an intention to evoke an aesthetic or emotional response; __communication__
 * **Quality**: skill, technical competence
 * **Response:** requires an audience or recipient

Many of the comments are quite insightful and touch on some of the things we have discussed in class.
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